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Old 07-19-2018, 04:50 AM   #1
Carbon18
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Fresh water tank max fill

Dry camping and trying to max fill fresh water tank. . Don’t want to over fill/ pressure tank and bust a water fill line, is it ok waiting till tank drain vent starts having water come out? Gauge shows full way before max capacity.
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Old 07-19-2018, 05:02 AM   #2
Canonman
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It will be interesting to see what others say, but when I fill the FW tank for an extended dry camp stay, I fill it until it runs out the vent or fill tube. I've never used the tank gauges for filling, just for monitoring use and remaining level.
Never had any problems over the years with overpressure since the pump auto-shutoff has always worked. In fact, I think the pump works better when the tank is full.
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Old 07-19-2018, 11:27 AM   #3
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Ive always filled up to where it starts coming out the vent tube as well. Never an issue.
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Old 07-19-2018, 12:57 PM   #4
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+1 on filling till it comes out the vent. shouldn’t overpressurize with the gravity fill open.
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Old 07-19-2018, 02:48 PM   #5
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Does your trailer have a gravity fill port, or do you have to use the "city water" connection to fill?

With our old Lance truck camper (gravity fill) I always filled it until water came out the breather tube and never had an issue, but our current trailer doesn't have a gravity fill, and I've been afraid to do that since I can see it building a fair amount of pressure filling though the city water connection before it pushes out through the air vent. What I've been doing instead, is fill with the city water port until gauge reads full, then trickle water in thru the air vent until it's actually full.
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Old 07-19-2018, 09:39 PM   #6
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Even the newer rigs that don't have a gravity fill port still have a tank vent, and when filling with the city water fill valve, the water will still overflow through the tank vent. With our gravity fill closed, I regularly fill the fresh tank with the city fill, and when the water exits the tank vent, I turn off the fill, and have not had any issues.
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Old 07-20-2018, 10:41 AM   #7
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I am with the others, if it has a vent tube it will flow out. I fill that way and have seen water steam out during a turn. So far never on a steep hill. I have seen it on other RVs. I wonder if it even builds up pressure, it is vented and water.
Now gas in metal tanks does vent in hot temps. That is seen on boats built with metal tanks in the hull. Cars nowdays have a return vent line that prevents spills.
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Old 07-20-2018, 12:11 PM   #8
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Add water till till you see water coming out of overflow "Full" To this date have seen no issues
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Old 07-20-2018, 06:00 PM   #9
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It is ok to fill your tank till the water comes out the vents, it is designed for this, the force that is seen by the tank when water sloshes around a half full tank is far greater than when it is full (tank surge). It is actually safer to travel with it full to the vents than it is partially full, ask any over the road tanker driver.

I have seen half full water tanks burst a few times but never on a full tank.
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Old 07-20-2018, 08:45 PM   #10
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Yes tanks that are full are safer than half full because of the forward thrust of the water. Each gallon is approximately 8 lbs of weight times 36 gallons ( or what ever your tank holds) is 288 pounds of weight times the miles per hour your traveling. Just a thought
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Old 07-21-2018, 05:38 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by firesquirt View Post
It is ok to fill your tank till the water comes out the vents, it is designed for this, the force that is seen by the tank when water sloshes around a half full tank is far greater than when it is full (tank surge). It is actually safer to travel with it full to the vents than it is partially full, ask any over the road tanker driver.

I have seen half full water tanks burst a few times but never on a full tank.
When I was a youngster I drove an 18 wheeler tanker. Carried a product called Alum (mix of sulfuric acid and bauxite) used in paper mill settling ponds IIRC. The tanker had baffles in it to try to eliminate or at least slow down the wave action. This was back in the late 60s so I think pretty well all OTR tankers have those baffles. Would be a good idea for the RV FW tank but then again another $1.50 on the price of a new unit.
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Old 07-21-2018, 08:14 AM   #12
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Another + for filling it till it runs out.

The sensor reads full well below the top of the tank, so your probably about 7/8 full when the sensor reads full.
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Old 07-21-2018, 10:44 AM   #13
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I've had my 5th we
heel for a little over a year, and I just wait until I see water coming out of the over flow. I have not had any problems doing it this way either.
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Old 07-21-2018, 10:58 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 66joej View Post
When I was a youngster I drove an 18 wheeler tanker. Carried a product called Alum (mix of sulfuric acid and bauxite) used in paper mill settling ponds IIRC. The tanker had baffles in it to try to eliminate or at least slow down the wave action. This was back in the late 60s so I think pretty well all OTR tankers have those baffles. Would be a good idea for the RV FW tank but then again another $1.50 on the price of a new unit.


Yep you are right for tankers and baffles, except food grade cannot have baffles ( potable water exception).
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Old 07-21-2018, 03:07 PM   #15
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I knew a guy that left the water on low filling his fresh tank and walked away he forgot the water being on . The pressure blew his tank out on 2009 raptor . I have a tank hose fill and tank cap fill I use the cap fill and never force the hose inside the tank mine will gurgle awhile before water come out the cap fill and small vent .
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Old 07-23-2018, 05:25 AM   #16
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The vent on my fifth wheel is the same diameter as the other pex piping in the camper so I'm not worried about over pressurizing the tank. The problem I have had with ours (and from what I have read, I'm about the only one) is losing water out of the vent while traveling. It pours out the vent when going around turns. We filled up at home and drove to the Smoky Mountains, about 60 miles. We lost water all along the way, even when we were backing in, my wife said water was coming out. I think it might have been siphoning at that point (it was down hill though). I have pulled the under belly down and took a look at what to do to fix this. The vent comes almost straight out from the tank to the left side of the RV. I think I will add a loop in it with a T at the bottom. Then run the bottom down through the under belly to a valve, so I can drain it in the winter time. Maybe with the loop I will stop losing water.

We don't dry camp often at all, but losing a third of my water is not cool.
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Old 07-23-2018, 06:23 AM   #17
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It might be easier to just buy a rubber plug and put it in the vent opening next to the gravity fill. Just remember to take it out when filling the FW tank.
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Old 07-23-2018, 06:28 AM   #18
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To stop siphoning you need a high point above the tank with a pinhole at the top to break the siphon.
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